bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Alice Yan

A man in China who had a 12cm-long metal chopstick lodged in his throat for eight years recently had surgery to remove the object.
The man, surnamed Wang, underwent the surgery at Dalian Municipal Central Hospital in northeastern Liaoning province in early March.
His experience has shocked internet users, the Daxiang News reported.
Eight years ago, Wang swallowed the chopstick by accident while eating and drinking alcohol.

At the time he felt pain but did not have any breathing problems.
When Wang went for a hospital check-up, doctors suggested cutting the side of his neck to take out the chopstick. But he declined this option and decided to leave the object where it was.
Wang, an alcoholic, said in the following eight years he occasionally felt the eating implement but decided to endure it.
He attributed the discomfort to a “normal reaction” from drinking alcohol.

But weeks ago, Wang felt a pain every time he got up in the morning. The pain was more acute when he swallowed things and the situation was relieved after some rest.
This prompted him to visit the Dalian hospital.
“He told us a chopstick was trapped in his throat. I thought it happened just now, but he said this was eight years ago,” Huang Weipeng, a doctor at the hospital, was quoted as saying.
An examination found a metal chopstick in the soft palate of Wang’s throat.

Fortunately, the nearby mucous membrane was not injured and the related organs did not shift their positions. His vocal cords functioned normally, said doctors.
Doctors panned a minimally invasive operation to remove the object via his mouth because Wang objected to them cutting his neck.
Finally, a 12cm-long metal chopstick was retrieved. The surgery went smoothly, with a small amount of bleeding during the operation.
Wang recovered well and was discharged from the hospital days later.
The man’s story became an online sensation.
“12cm long. My God, it is so long. How did he endure it for such a long time?” said one internet user.

“I felt pain when simply reading this story,” said another person.
A third asked: “I wonder how he managed to swallow it?”
News stories about people who swallow strange objects often captivate social media in China.
Last year, a 64-year-old man in central Anhui province had an operation to retrieve a toothbrush that had been in his stomach for 52 years.
He said he swallowed it by accident and chose to conceal the secret from his parents for fear of their criticism.


How China influencer achieves monthly sales of US$14 million by selling US$10 beauty products

Ex-China university lecturer sets up luxury lingerie brand, earning US$770 million fortune

China bosses use smart seats, Wi-fi to track staff activities, leads to anti-monitoring gadgets

China food scandals: factories use smelly insoles, chemically bleached chicken feet to make snacks

Trending in China

Chinese man lives for 8 years with chopstick stuck in throat, resisting surgery due to fear

A Chinese man lived for eight years with a 12-cm-long chopstick stuck in his throat after accidentally swallowing it. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo

It is unclear how the man was able to swallow the 12cm-long metal chopstick, above. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

An X-ray photograph shows the metal object lodged in the man’s throat. Photo: baijiahao.baidu.com

A woman enjoys tucking into Chinese dumpling noodles with roasted barbecued pork using plastic chopsticks. Photo: Shutterstock

A group of young people toast each other with glasses of beer. The metal chopstick victim is understood to be a heavy drinker. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Fat for beef’: China local drive rewards residents with 0.5kg of meat for same amount of weight lost

A community programme in China is rewarding residents with 0.5kg of beef for every 0.5kg of weight they lose. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Hanging beef for sale at a market in China. Hundreds of people have signed up for the initiative. Photo: Getty Images

Young Chinese people exercise at a gym in a bid to shed weight and build muscle. Photo: Shutterstock

Elderly people do their morning tai chi chuan exercises in Zizhuyuan Park, Beijing. Photo: Getty Images

Overweight people exercising at a weight loss camp in China. Photo: AFP 

China sailor creates ‘radio station’ to connect families with seamen stranded in Strait of Hormuz

A Chinese sailor near the banks of the Strait of Hormuz has created a temporary “home letter radio station” as many ships remain stranded and unable to contact families in China due to poor telecom signals. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Douyin

A long-distance image of one of many explosions in and around the war-torn strait. Photo: Douyin

Commercial seaman Liu Yiwen pictured on board his stranded ship. Photo: Douyin

Members of the ship’s crew on board. Liu spoke to his wife in an audio call on social media. Photo: Douyin

An aerial view of Qeshm, an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Real-life Cinderella’: China stuntwoman transitions from playing body double to stardom

Li Yitong has transformed from a stunt double to a leading actress in China, earning the title of “real-life Cinderella”. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/Sohu

Li Yitong, above, is an accomplished folk dancer who graduated from the Beijing Academy of Dance.  Photo: Sina

A delicate and petite appearance led people to say that Li, above, looked like the famous actress Zhao Liying. Photo: Sina

Li, above, has been praised for her distinctive interpretations of the characters she portrays on screen. Photo: Sina

Her appearance has led film fans to dub her a “naturally born ancient beauty”. Photo: Sina

How China ethnic minority groups use chicken bones of small roosters to predict fortunes

In a ritual practised by various ethnic minority groups in China, chicken bone divination uses the leg of a small rooster to predict fortunes. Photo: Sohu

Historical records, above, reveal that the ritual dates back centuries. Photo: zhihu.com

The image above from the historical records shows drawings of the bones used in the ritual. Photo: zhihu.com

A divination expert holds chicken bones in his hand as he demonstrates the custom. Photo: zhihu.com

The above image is a pictorial characterisation of part of the divination process. Photo: zhihu.com

Taiwan singer ignites debate by showing popular ‘vacuum belly’ technique to lose weight

Taiwanese singer Ella Chen has sparked controversy by demonstrating her “vacuum belly” technique during a concert.  Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Ella Chen Jiahua shows the controversial movement on stage during a concert. Photo: QQ.com

An online pictorial tutorial shows interested viewers how to perform the routine: Photo: QQ.com

A personal trainer explains what the movement does to the human body using a plastic skeleton. Photo: QQ.com

Chen, above, attends a film premiere in Taipei. She shot to fame as part of a girl band. Photo: Getty Images

News

People & Culture

Alcoholic goes to hospital for check-up but rejects operation which would require surgeons to cut his neck to remove eating implement


Alcoholic goes to hospital for check-up but rejects operation which would require surgeons to cut his neck to remove eating implement.


Health in China

Chinese man lives for 8 years with chopstick stuck in throat, resisting surgery due to fear

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Alcoholic goes to hospital for check-up but rejects operation which would require surgeons to cut his neck to remove eating implement

Alcoholic goes to hospital for check-up but rejects operation which would require surgeons to cut his neck to remove eating implement